NAD - MarkBass CMD 121P

[Mornats]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Well I took the plunge and bought myself a MarkBass CMD 121P and have just had a first go on it.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I was looking for a replacement for my Ashdown 220 Touring 2x12 rig. Great rig, nice sounds but was too big and heavy for me to lug to the type of gigs I do (small gigs, open mic nights and the like). It also has a really nice tube sound from the pre-amp that is nice and warm, grinds up nicely when the gain is upped but doesn't suit the "melodic indie pop/rock" that we do in my band.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]So I went for the small, light and clean-sounding 121P. For those three requirements, nothing else is ever really recommended. I'd heard one before as my bass tutor used to put me through his so I knew all my basses would sound good through it.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I was a little concerned at first about the thread on here talking about the MarkBass amps being made in Indonesia and being heavy. If you read that, you'll know what Marco from MarkBass came on and chatted to us about his amps and the new production of them. I was reassured enough to take the plunge...[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]It's made in Indonesia. There's a nice sticker on it saying it's designed, engineered and tested in Italy by MarkBass. Build quality looks great but I'll give it a closer going-over later. It's 12.5kg, so lighter than the advertised 13.3kg. So I can say with certainty, it's not heavier![/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I had it delivered to my office and sneakily turned it on, turned the gain up to max and turned the volume up. I could hear a hiss from it starting around halfway up the volume (with all eq flat). Not a problem really as any time I have it that high in volume you're not gonna be hearing a bit of hiss.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]I wouldn't have known it had a tweeter in it if I hadn't been told. No problems for me so far regarding the tweeter being too much or standing out. That said, I've only had it at a very low volume.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]So that's the concerns out of the way and I'm glad to say, nothing was actually a concern for me.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]So, the sound.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Oh my good god.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]EQ flat, plugged my Yamaha TRBX 504 in and it sounded great. Much better than it did through anything else. It simply lets the bass shine through. I played with the EQ on the amp a little bit and the low mids on the amp - 360hz - is around the same frequency range of the mids on the Yammy which is nice! I can just leave this amp flat and enjoy my basses.[/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Onto the two filter knobs. The VLE - vintage loudspeaker emulator - sounds like it makes the amp less harsh and flattens it out. I think that's what it's designed to do according to MarkBass - "[color=#020202]this filter has the effect of drawing you into the mix more, making your sound less present. It's kind of like an "old school" knob" - I have to agree with that.[/color][/font][/size]

[size=4][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#020202]The VPF - now this is nice, real nice. It's a "smiley" filter. Scoops mids, boosts bass and treble. My Yammy started to sound a lot more vintagey, heading into Fender territory. So I tried my passive Overwater Classic Jazz with P/J pickups and yep, it just gives that lovely old vintage Fender sound. Sweet! I was a little concerned that the amp might sound too clean and clear but I can dial in this filter and it mellows nicely and pulls out a cigar.[/color][/font][/size]

[color=#020202][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]I'm a very happy man right now [/font][/color]

[color=#020202][font=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]So here's a pic of it next to my Ashdown rig, my Yammy (and some golf clubs randomly).[/font][/color]

[attachment=156986:markbass.jpg]

I've got band practice tomorrow night so will report back again after that.

[Fionn]

Thumbs up from me too.

I've had one of these for a couple of weeks now, and it's the BOMB.

Very good combo

[BassBus]

You won't go wrong with one of these. Another fan here.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='BassBus' timestamp='1394142779' post='2388498']
You won't go wrong with one of these. Another fan here.
[/quote]

And another.

[chrismuzz]

Glad you're happy with it! The best thing about markbass amps is the vpf and vle filters. They give you pretty much every tone imaginable

[Mornats]

Yeah, I'm leaving most of the EQ alone and just dialing in one or the other of those two.

[Dazed]

Same story here. Really can't fault it. Maybe if it had an onboard compressor and it would be perfect

[AndroWal]

I have one also and a few months later purchased the extension cab with 1x12 and tweeter. Makes it all even better! More air moved....easily fill a room of 200 people......probably more....

[Telebass]

I've had a CMD121H for 8 years now. With an extension, on half volume, it was comfortably filling a 400-seater. EQ flat as above. Amazing combos.
It has spent the last year as a spare, but as my main band winds down, it's getting the new gigs in the blues and jazz bands.
I'll say it again - great combos.

[gsgbass]

Congrats on the Markbass. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/wE8nInl.gif[/IMG]

[martthebass]

Picked up a couple of NY121 cabs recently to go with my LM3. Haven't had a chance to use yet. Can't wait :-)

[Mornats]

I tried it out at a practice on Friday. We didn't have our drummer and weren't in a venue where I could crank it up but it still sounded great. I left it flat, set the volume and just enjoyed it. Didn't have to tweak a damn thing to get a good sound from my Yamaha. I'm taking it to an open mic night on Tuesday at a place where I usually have trouble with the bass booming and dipping due to the room. I'll let you know how I get on but so far I'm more than happy with this.

I also took a DI out into my Guitar Rig interface and reckon I now have a good preamp for recording with. There's a bit of noise coming through when I record but I suspect this is down to the PC. It was much worse until I shut down World of Warcraft which was on in the background... so it's either case fans or other programs causing it - not a problem with the amp I think.

[Kev]

Congrats

Certainly sounds like mine had a problem then, as the hiss coming from mine was far too loud to not notice it had a tweeter!

[Mornats]

Well, I tried practicing to a few songs on the PC. I loaded up recordings of our songs into Reaper, took the DI out from the MarkBass using an XLR to jack lead into the instrument level input on my Guitar Rig Session interface and I get a mass of hiss coming through, even when Reaper is the only software running. When I plug a bass directly into the interface there is no noise whatsoever (unless I hit a note of course). So in this sense, the MarkBass is totally unusable for recording direct to PC.

I can hear the distinct hiss when I turn the amp on (even with all volumes turned down) in a quiet room. It's not a problem when rehearsing, even at low volumes. As I bought it for rehearsing and gigging this shouldn't be a problem for me (so long as a DI out to the PA is hiss-free). Just a shame this "added-extra" use didn't work out.

[mcnach]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1394394577' post='2390999']
Well, I tried practicing to a few songs on the PC. I loaded up recordings of our songs into Reaper, took the DI out from the MarkBass using an XLR to jack lead into the instrument level input on my Guitar Rig Session interface and I get a mass of hiss coming through, even when Reaper is the only software running. When I plug a bass directly into the interface there is no noise whatsoever (unless I hit a note of course). So in this sense, the MarkBass is totally unusable for recording direct to PC.

I can hear the distinct hiss when I turn the amp on (even with all volumes turned down) in a quiet room. It's not a problem when rehearsing, even at low volumes. As I bought it for rehearsing and gigging this shouldn't be a problem for me (so long as a DI out to the PA is hiss-free). Just a shame this "added-extra" use didn't work out.
[/quote]

I use the DI in mine all the time, to PA, it sounds great. Hmmm, strange.

[Lozz196]

Same here, and I`ve recorded with it with no problems.

[Mornats]

I wouldn't rule out my interface or PC being the problem. I may try my work's MacBook Pro to rule out the PC and if I can get my hands on another interface I'll give that a go (always fancied a Focusrite Forte...)

[LawrenceH]

My Markbass records fine from DI also. Plus, any hiss that's still apparent through the speaker with the master volume down is not happening in the main preamp section (ie it is happening post-DI).

Not familiar with the interface but would using an instrument-level input not add stacks of extra gain?

[chrismuzz]

The DI on my F1 is awesome, I never let any sound technician use their own DI and that's been the case since I got the amp 5 years ago!

[Bilbo]

I have been gigging my electric through my AI Clarus and Ten2 Ex and it is fine for what I call 'quiet' pop/rock/funk gigs (yes, they do exist) but, when welly is required, I am not 100% happy so am thinking about the Markbass discussed above as the next 'targeted purchase'!! Good to see people are generally happy.

[Mornats]

[quote name='LawrenceH' timestamp='1394460428' post='2391533']
Not familiar with the interface but would using an instrument-level input not add stacks of extra gain?
[/quote]

Hmm could be. I'll switch it to line level to see if I can hear the difference. I'm using the XLR to jack lead but can use an XLR to XLR and plug it into the mic input too but as it's not a mic being plugged in I was wary of that.

[Mornats]

Yep, that was it. The audio interface was set to instrument level and I had the gain turned up to compensate. I tried it set to line in, set the gain on the amp so it wasn't clipping and put the line output to full. This let me put the input gain on the audio interface at just under half and I had almost no hiss. I'd normally turn the gain down a bit more, record quieter into my DAW and use gain in the software to get it up the required level anyway so I'm happy

[LawrenceH]

Great result - glad it worked out!
Previous incarnations of these Markbass units were the first compact combos I heard that just blew me away in terms of the sound... time has moved on but I still rate those highly. Curious about the drivers in them if they're not B&C any more, especially as B&C produced some lower-cost steel basket woofers a couple of years ago that looked like they were designed for bass guitar. I know Marco has said on the other thread that the T/S specs are the same, but there's a lot more to a good driver than that. Still, if it sounds good then it is good...

[Mornats]

Righto, just played my first gig with this. It was at Mr Wolf's in Bristol if anyone knows the venue. Fairly small I'd say but they have a big PA system. I've heard a few bands there and they've always been rocking loud and have sounded great.

I asked the sound guy if he wanted a DI only from the combo, a mix of combo and DI or just the combo on it's own and he said "that's a Mark yeah? That'll be plenty on it's own". So I set the volume to what sounded "bloody loud" to me stood in front of it and it sounded absolutely pounding loud and clear and punchy and just right. It was great. Then I find out that volume is on just shy of 3 out of 10 with the input gain just under halfway. Wow!

I asked someone in the audience if the bass was too loud and they said it just sat right in the mix.

So I'm a happy chappy. I don't even think I'll need an extension cab if I've got PA support in bigger venues (if only bigger venues would invite us lol!)

[Fionn]

[quote name='Mornats' timestamp='1395100580' post='2398827']
I set the volume to what sounded "bloody loud" to me stood in front of it and it sounded absolutely pounding loud and clear and punchy and just right. It was great. Then I find out that volume is on just shy of 3 out of 10 with the input gain just under halfway. Wow!

I asked someone in the audience if the bass was too loud and they said it just sat right in the mix.

So I'm a happy chappy. I don't even think I'll need an extension cab if I've got PA support in bigger venues (if only bigger venues would invite us lol!)
[/quote]

I too was blown away with the live impact of the combo alone, although I'll definitely get the extension cab. Not because I'll need it all the time. I just want control over my sound in as many scenarios as possible with this kit. I'd prefer not to use PA if I didn't have to. I don't like being completely at the mercy of unknown sound guys.